The Wolf and the Dame
by Wise.Girl4ever
Summary: Percy Jackson 1940s AU. Percy and Annabeth have lived on Main Street across from each other their entire lives, but rarely spoke. Their lives seem normal until the U.S. enters WWII. Their fathers get drafted, and the world they once knew is gone. Can they find it again in each other? Rated T for occasional violence and romance. (Cover Image: Marion @ the-art-of-believing on tumblr)
1. Chapter 1

Wow so it's been several years. Welcome back to anyone who has been with me since the beginning. I've been reading a lot of FanFiction myself lately and thought, why not get back in the game? Just in case this goes nowhere, I will apologize to all of you in advance.

So I've been pretty busy. Don't flame me or anything, (is that even a word used here anymore?) but I haven't finished reading the Heroes of Olympus series yet. So be kind to me. I have been missing Percy and Annabeth lately, so I decided to revisit them, even if they are a little OOC. (Especially their parents. Sorry! I made them a certain way to fit in with my story a little better.) I haven't tried a period AU before so this ought to be good.

Also, this story was inspired by Marion's art on tumblr. Their url is the-art-of-believing.

Enjoy!

* * *

Annabeth stared through her window, following the passing cars with her grey eyes until they were out of sight. Most days she found herself doing this, when there was an absence of a new book in her home or she wasn't helping her pa downstairs.

The street below happened to be a bustling Main Street, adorable at its best, annoying at its worst. The shops lining the street were always bustling with eager customers. It was picturesque, replicating a neat postcard demonstrating the beauty and diversity of the town. People from all walks of life came through here, providing the town's center.

Directly across the street was the home of Percy Jackson and his parents. They owned a shoe shining business, faithfully working 6 days a week. Percy was about Annabeth's age, maybe a few months older. She couldn't ever be sure. The tall, dark-haired boy was always downstairs in his father's shop helping him with whatever he needed. From her upstairs window, Annabeth often saw him sweeping the store front, cleaning the window, and more often than not, running the store completely by himself. Despite whatever his current task happened to be, he always wore a slight smile. She admired that kind of drive from afar.

Percy Jackson was a bit of a neighborhood legend. Throngs of girls were often heard whispering his name and giggling, sometimes to the point of being chased out of ice cream shoppes and out of pictures. Despite the town's diversity, there was one thing they could all agree on—Percy Jackson was a handsome young man. Annabeth happily agreed with them, believing it as fact.

From her window, Annabeth often had the luxury of witnessing some of the fangirl craziness herself. Groups of girls would crowd around the shop window, vying for a better look at the working boy, giggling and waving without an ounce of shame. Percy never seemed fazed, often opting to politely smile and continue on with his work.

Unbeknownst to Annabeth, Percy would often sneak glances of her as well. After the girls would leave, Percy would quickly look at Annabeth, attempting to gauge some sort of reaction, it being in vain most of the time.

Truth was, Percy was infatuated with the barber shop dame across the street. The blonde always had her locks pinned in neat curls, a string of her mother's pearls adorning her neck with each outfit. Soft red lipstick covered her lips each day, rain or shine. She was beautiful, a sight to see, in his mind. Percy did recognize that some of the girls who came to gawk at the window were _kinda_ pretty, but they were nothing compared to her. She was on a whole other planet, in a whole other galaxy. Percy often put these thoughts out of his mind, believing she never looked twice at him.

...

Despite the aura of pleasantness that the Main Street possessed, it was not immune to tragedy.

A crisp September morning was the worst day of Annabeth's life thus far. She woke up to birds chirping and the soft sound of the radio. Getting ready quickly, she made her way from the apartment to the shop, carrying a bounce in her step, as she did any other day. She always skipped the last step as she ran down the stairs, and this day was no different. The sun was bright and the wind was light, beautiful for September. She was greeted with the jingle of the bell on the door handle as she pushed it open. Spotting her father, Annabeth planted a kiss on his bearded cheek. His eyes carried a certain sadness as he gazed upon his daughter.

"Annabeth, I have some news," he said, keeping his voice to a minimum, eyeing the shoe shiner across the street as he spoke.

Annabeth's expression was quick to shift, her eyebrows furrowing together in confusion. Her father placed a steady hand on her back, guiding her outside to the sidewalk. Across the street, Percy Jackson was sweeping the leaves that found a home on the sidewalk out into the street. His eyes were fixed on the blonde as she and her father walked out of the shop.

"Dear, as you know..." the older man started, pulling a folded paper out of his shirt pocket as he spoke, a United States seal at the top, "The war seems to be getting worse, and men are needed-"

"No," Annabeth whispered, tearing herself from her father. Her eyed watering, her hands quivering, she shook her head. Repeating the word "no" over and over again. Her voice grew louder, until her final repetition was a scream. The pit in Annabeth's stomach grew, and her vision became blurred. A few of her curls turned loose, the pins falling to the ground as she grabbed at her head, the hair falling into scattered ringlets. Annabeth, the normally put-together young woman, had broken. There were few things in this world Annabeth held close to her heart, her father being the main object of her affection. Losing him would be the worst pain she had ever felt.

Percy watched the scene unfold before him. Placing his broom against the shop window, he crossed the street slowly. Annabeth's father, Fred, as Percy knew him, was attempting to tone down her hysteria, keeping her at arm's length. Annabeth was crying now, yelling at no one in particular with statements like, "It's not fair! You can't leave me!" Her father eventually abandoned her to return to his customers, planting a kiss on her forehead as he went. He knew she would come to eventually.

Annabeth sat on the curb, her head cradled between her hands. She was shaking, a slight whimpering escaping her lips.

Percy crossed the street, neglecting to watch for traffic. He planted himself on the curb next to her, removing his apron as he did. For a few seconds, he did not move. Cars passed, the wind continued to blow down the street, but the two of them remained motionless. Clearing his throat, he tapped her on the shoulder.

Annabeth looked up with blurred vision to see a dark-haired boy sitting next to her.

"Percy," he said, extending his hand, standing as he did.

"Annabeth," she replied, sniffling, accepting his hand.

Percy moved back to sit on the wooden bench placed in front of the barber shop.

"I know," he whispered under his breath, that familiar sly smile spreading across his lips.

As they sat, Percy cleared his throat again. "My father got drafted today too," his tone suddenly losing it's playfulness.

Looking at him apologetically, she shared her feelings. "I bet you didn't react as maniacally as me," laughing nervously as she spoke. She wiped the remaining tears from her cheeks, the redness beginning to leave her face.

Percy shook his head, laughing with her. "No, but I did cry like a baby. I spend every day with him, working. He's not just my dad, he's my best friend."

A moment passed in which Annabeth thought about what to say. This was a touchy subject for the both of them and Annabeth was definitely in unfamiliar territory, in terms of comforting people. "Are you worried-"

"About him dying?" Percy finished. He enjoyed the horrified look that flashed across Annabeth's features, chuckling softly. Annabeth enjoyed the sound, even if she was a little peeved at his response. "Of course I'm afraid. But when you're holding down the fort and staying strong for your ma, you try not to show your fear. Attitudes are contagious."

Annabeth pondered on this for a moment. A whistle came from across the street, and a frown replaced the smirk on Percy's face. His father was motioning for him to return to the shop, as a sudden influx in customers appeared.

"So that's your cue?" Annabeth asked. Percy nodded, retying his apron around his waist. Truthfully, Annabeth didn't want him to leave. She was enjoying his company. They hadn't encountered one another at school very often. Annabeth was usually in the library studying or practicing fencing outside of school. She knew Percy was the captain of the swim team, but rarely saw him in the halls or elsewhere. Annabeth now thought that he might have been a good friend in school. She stood up to wish him farewell, as her mother always taught her was the polite thing to do.

"Duty calls," Percy said, taking the back of Annabeth's hand and giving it a soft kiss. A blush spread across Annabeth's cheek, and she turned away from him as he crossed the street.

...

"Annabeth, are you crazy?" Thalia shouted across the small apartment. Annabeth sat by the window, a book between her palms. Truthfully, she hadn't paid the novel any mind since opening it, instead staring across the dimly lit street. The sun was setting, shades of pink and red scattered across the sky.

"Perhaps just a little," Annabeth blandly remarked. Thalia, her short-haired best friend, had been pacing Annabeth's apartment for roughly a half hour since arriving. Annabeth had called her as soon as the shop closed, detailing the day's events. Annabeth had also admitted to eyeing Percy Jackson a little more than usually allowed by society. She admired the way his eyes narrowed in concentration as he polished a leather shoe. The way he would look up at a customer and laugh at whatever it was they said, funny or not. The glint in his remarkably green eyes when he caught Annabeth staring. The way his raven-colored hair seemed to do whatever it chose to under the command of hair gel.

"Annabeth, hello!" Thalia said, rather impatiently, snapping fingers in front of the blonde's glazed eyes.

Annabeth laughed apologetically, still refusing to meet Thalia's gaze. "Sorry."

Thalia rolled her eyes, but found it hard to contain a smile. Annabeth was never one for romance, let alone one for romance with Percy Jackson. Thalia found it rather cliché, but basked in Annabeth's happiness anyway. It was usually Annabeth that made fun of the flock of Percy Jackson fangirls that always seemed to be present on Main Street. Now, she found herself inadvertently one of them, if only in a small way.

"So, what do you plan on doing about all of this?" Thalia inquired, her tone low. Annabeth's parents had just arrived, preoccupied in the kitchen preparing dinner. It was unlikely that either of them would hear. Both of Annabeth's parents were held unaware to their daughter's blooming affections for the boy across the way.

"What about Luke?" Thalia added. Annabeth sighed at the thought. Luke was a complicated situation that Annabeth preferred to ignore. The golden-haired boy was a favorite to Annabeth's parents. They greatly approved of the older gentleman, and Annabeth sensed that they even wished for her to marry him. They had gone on a handful of dates, but Annabeth hadn't enjoyed them enough to put a label on the two of them. Luke was a rather… imperious young man. That was the nicest adjective Annabeth could think of concerning his main personality trait. Other than that, she found him rather bland, or at least what he chose to show her as bland. He was mysterious, and Annabeth had a hard time reading him. She wasn't willing to put in effort into their uninteresting relationship. He was fun sometimes, sure. But when it came time to pleasant conversation, he didn't have much to offer. Luke was another man that garnered a lot of attention across their town from the female population, but Annabeth paid no mind to that.

"What about him?" Annabeth questioned, her voice almost in a growl. Thalia sat beside her friend on the window seat, placing her arm around the younger girl. Thalia was aware of the touchiness of the subject, but she had to ensure that Annabeth knew the gravity of the situation.

"Well, you did go out on a date with him two weeks ago," the dark-haired girl reminded the blonde. Annabeth rolled her eyes, reminded of the boring date.

"We went to see a film." Annabeth stood from the window seat, placing the book carefully upon the nearest shelf. Each wall in the apartment had bookshelves covering it, thanks to Annabeth and her mother.

"A film is still a film, Annabeth."

"It was boring! I much rather would have spent my Friday night cleaning the shop," Annabeth replied in a snarky manner.

"Thalia dear, will you be joining us for dinner?" Annabeth's mother chirped from the kitchen.

"Yes please! Would you mind if I stayed the night to keep Annabeth company?" Thalia requested, wiggling her eyebrows at Annabeth as she spoke. Annabeth laughed and elbowed her friend in the ribs.

"Not at all, Thalia!"

" _Great._ " Annabeth exhaled.

...

As the girls laid on the floor of Annabeth's room with full stomachs, the soft sound of the radio in the background, a low knock was heard from downstairs. The girls sat up, maintaining eye-contact.

"You don't think he heard-"

"It's possible, you know how possessive he can be..." Thalia replied.

If there was one thing Thalia knew for sure about Luke, it was his pridefulness. Hearing about Annabeth getting comforted by another man in their small town was sure to get passed around. It was only a matter of time before Luke heard and made his presence known at the Chase household.

As it was 8 o'clock in the evening, the girls figured they could pass off being asleep as an excuse to not see Luke. The two made eye contact and worked quickly. Footsteps made their way down the steps towards the front door, and the girls made fast work. Annabeth grabbed blankets from her closet as Thalia hit the lights and turned off the radio. Knocking the pillows off of her small bed and onto the floor, Annabeth made a makeshift bed that the two of them could share. Thalia kicked off her shoes near the door and Annabeth followed her lead. Almost immediately after the two of them threw themselves on the floor and covered themselves with a blanket, the door swung open to reveal Luke in a button-up with the sleeves rolled to the middle of his forearm, his hair slicked back, and a cigarette poised between his white teeth. Thalia glared at him with half-lidded eyes, her hair shielding them from Luke.

Annabeth immediately regretted the decision to position herself closest to the door. Luke knelt down, gently pushing away a ringlet from her face. Annabeth felt the light on her face being blocked from Luke's form as he planted a kiss on her forehead. Annabeth could almost feel his eyes raking down her "sleeping" form, and was jubilant when she heard the door close. For a moment, the two of them laid still.

Thalia was the first to sit up, standing and heading for the door.

"Wait!" Annabeth hissed, following her as they pressed their ears against the door.

"Sir, as you know, Annabeth and I have gone on a great number of dates," Luke began. Even through the moonlight streaming through her curtains, Annabeth could see Thalia sticking her finger in her mouth and motioning as if she were throwing up. Annabeth stifled a laugh and pressed her ear back to the door.

"Yes..."

"I wish to make you aware of my growing affection for your daughter. She is the light of my life and I suspect she feels the same towards me."

"Doubtful," Annabeth whispered.

"With this growing affection also comes the growing need for commitment. I am soon to inherit my father's company and he has expressed a wish for me to settle down soon after doing so. My mother has also bestowed upon me her wedding ring."

Thalia could barely make out the sound of Annabeth's mother gasping. She looked as Annabeth's eyes stared blankly ahead, and knew her best friend's stomach was dropping.

"Mr. and Mrs. Chase, I would like for the both of you to know that I have reached the point in my relationship with your daughter in which I am sure she is the one for me. Please know that if you will allow me, I would like to ask for permission to seek the hand of your daughter in marriage."

Annabeth dove for the doorknob and Thalia pushed her backwards. "No!" Thalia whispered. "He can't know that you're awake!" Tears formed in the blonde's eyes as she curled up on the mountain of blankets and pillows.

"You're practically a part of the family already," Fred's gruff voice replied. Thalia could hear Annabeth's mother's sobs of happiness through the door as she peeled herself away.

"That's enough for tonight, I think," Thalia whispered as she plopped herself next to her friend.

* * *

This is getting interesting, isn't it? Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter, I know I enjoyed writing it. Check me out on tumblr, my url is fearofsuffocating. Feedback is greatly appreciated.


	2. Chapter 2

The following day was one of those days in which Annabeth had to run the shop by herself. Her father had to go through the steps required after being drafted, including getting his physical. She had hoped that he would fail, but knew in her heart that he would pass. Her father was in perfect health and it was unlikely that he would fail anything. Business had been slow, as Annabeth suspected that many men in the town had received the same news as her father. The town was in a collective mourning, all of the citizens recognizing the change that was soon to come.

Annabeth found herself checking on Percy and his father, who were also taking advantage of the slow business day. They had been chatting most of the day, sitting on the raised chairs against the walls. Annabeth received a visit from Thalia around noon, and the dark-haired girl brought the blonde a sandwich from the deli she worked at. Thalia threw in a cookie that she snagged from the back. "Don't tell anyone that I stole it," Thalia said with a wink.

As Annabeth was flipping through a novel at the counter, she saw Luke walking on the sidewalk across the street. With a yelp, she childishly dove on the ground, away from sight. Peeking from behind the counter, she saw Luke scanning the barber shop before continuing towards his destination.

" _I'm so screwed,_ " Annabeth thought to herself. Sitting on the short stool next to her, Annabeth scooted closer to the end of the counter where she could safely observe Luke.

The golden-haired boy always seemed to carry an aura of importance wherever he went, even if he was simply strolling down Main Street like the majority of the population. The 20 year-old was heading towards the shoe shiner. Luke swung open the shop door with one hand and lit a cigarette with the other. Annabeth saw Percy grimace. She guessed he didn't like the smell of it, and neither did Annabeth. She let out a small laugh.

Once inside the shop, Annabeth witnessed Luke seating himself upon one of the chairs.

...

"How's your day been, sir?" Percy asked as he begun work on Luke's expensive shoes. Percy tried his best to maintain his trademark smile while ignoring the smoke, but found it difficult. Percy's father had placed a "No Smoking" sign on the shop window per Percy's request, and Luke, a returning customer, had been the only one to elect to ignore it. Percy insisted that they kick him out and ban him from returning, but his father knew the power that Luke held over them and everyone else in town. He refused to jeopardize their reputation and their business. The whole town felt the same and allowed Luke to behave however he wanted to. Percy hated that.

Moments had passed since Percy's initial question, and Luke had not answered. He flipped through a magazine, paying the younger boy no mind.

"Hey, I asked how your day has been," Percy repeated.

" _Fine,_ " Luke answered. The blond shot Percy a glare, but the shoe shiner maintained a hard look right back at him. Percy's father noticed the tension and made his way to the back office.

For the remainder of the shoe shine, Percy remained silent. Truthfully, he could have done better work, but chose not to. Luke was an ass and Percy usually found a way to stick it to assholes who had come into his shop.

After paying, Luke offered no tip and crossed the street calmly, making a beeline for the barber shop.

"Asshole!" Percy yelled as the door quietly closed, throwing his hat at the glass door.

...

Luke stopped before entering the shop. There was no one in sight, but Annabeth's father had let him know that Annabeth would be working by herself the night before. He offered this information with a wink, and Luke found the gesture annoying but smiled anyway. He needed this alone time with Annabeth. Luke knew that the amount of times they could had gone on dates could be counted on two hands, and he figured he needed about two more before he could propose. Annabeth was the most beautiful girl in town, and the most intelligent. He needed her on his arm as he became even more successful, and he knew snagging Annabeth before she turned 18 in a few months would impress his parents, maybe to the point of them bestowing upon him his father's second company. Only time would tell, and Luke knew there wasn't a whole lot of it.

Adjusting his tie, Luke pushed open the shop door.

...

Annabeth had eventually gotten bored of watching Luke and Percy exchange cold looks and returned to her book. When the bell on the door handle jingled, Annabeth got up from the stool and began her usual spiel, "Hi! What can I help you with to-" before stopping abruptly when she realized who had entered. "Oh! Uh, hi Luke! It's… uh, been awhile."

"Miss me?" Luke asked. "Just got in yesterday afternoon," he added. Luke had gone on a business trip, but Annabeth was unsure when he would return.

"Of course," Annabeth remarked, staring down at her feet as she spoke. Annabeth was more than willing to act tough and nonchalant about her relationship with Luke to Thalia, but she had to admit that he was an intimidating creature.

Luke moved from in front of the counter to behind it, wrapping an arm around Annabeth and planting a possessive kiss on her forehead. Annabeth could feel no ounce of love in the kiss.

Luke planted two more kisses on her cheek and held her for a few moments. Annabeth laughed, hoping to disguise her uncomfortableness as she did. She snuck a glance towards Percy, watching him shake his head, and look at the ceiling as he spoke to his father, no doubt about the two of them.

Luke noticed this exchange, and surprised Annabeth by lifting her up on the edge of the counter. "And I have missed you… So much," he whispered, leaning into Annabeth, a hand creeping up her outer thigh, the other cradling the back of her head. Annabeth laughed in response, hoping to distract him from kissing her in front of Percy and his father.

Annabeth questioned his new tie when her laugh wasn't enough to distract him. "That's a beautiful tie! Is it new? I haven't seen it before!" Words spilled out quickly as she took the tie between her shaky fingers.

The blond loved attention, that was for sure. "Ah, yes. I picked it up on my way back. Couldn't resist the red. It reminded me of that lipstick you know I love so much," Luke remarked, trailing a hand down Annabeth's arm. The girl blushed, keeping her eyes on the tie clutched between her fingers.

From across the street, Percy noticed the tension between the couple. Asking his father if he could take over his customer, he hung his apron on the hook behind the counter, checking his hair in the mirror beside it. He wasn't one for haircuts, but he could use a good shave.

"I'll be back, dad!" he yelled as he crossed the street.

Luke leaned into Annabeth, planting a trail of kisses from her temple, aiming for her lips. Those soft lips he hadn't felt in two weeks. Her skin that felt like rose petals. Her mint breath that hitched right before he kissed her.-

"Hi, can I get a shave?" a voice asked from the doorway.

Luke whipped his head to the source, growling as he did.

"Of course!" Annabeth replied with almost a chirp, hopping from the counter as she prepared the chair closest to the back on purpose.

Luke narrowed his eyes at the raven-haired boy, following him with his eyes as he headed for the chair at the end of the row. Percy winked at the blond as he took a seat, almost daring him to speak.

"Well, I suppose he will be your last customer, since you're near to closing. I'll be waiting for you upstairs, my love," Luke said, a slight dryness to his voice. He crossed the shop, pausing before Annabeth as she tied a smock around Percy's neck. Glancing at Percy, he wrapped an arm around Annabeth's waist and kissed her, hard, on the mouth. The kiss lasted a few seconds as Luke allowed his other hand to wander low on Annabeth's back. A moan escaped Annabeth's lips, but not from pleasure, as Luke no doubt saw it. Before releasing her, he dragged his tongue across Annabeth's bottom lip slightly, as if to mark his territory. Annabeth didn't appreciate the gesture.

"See ya," Annabeth offered, as the older man left the shop. Annabeth attempted to hide her embarrassment as Percy raised an eyebrow at her through the mirror.

"So, do you want me to shape your stubble or would you like me to shave it all off?" Annabeth asked the young man sitting in the chair in front of her, eyeing him in the mirror. She wiped the back of her hand across her lips.

"I don't know how you can stand to be around that guy," Percy said, twisting his fingers under the fabric of the smock.

"Ah, you didn't answer my question," Annabeth said, fiddling around with the products in the cabinet next to the mirror.

"And you didn't answer mine."

"Yours wasn't really a question, though. More of an inquiry," Annabeth replied.

"Still technically a question," Percy shot back.

"Do you want a shave, or not?" Annabeth asked, spinning around to face the boy.

"Yes please." The boy couldn't help but stare as she turned back around and rifled through the cabinet some more. Her blonde hair was pinned up as it always was, a few short ringlets had escaped to frame her face. The back was falling loose, as that scoundrel had dug his fingers through it. He vowed that if he ever had the opportunity to kiss her, he would be gentle. She was wearing a light blue dress with a ribbon tied around her waist, accentuating just the way her hips curved out-

"Hey, hello?" Annabeth waved her hand in front of the boy's face, as he was unresponsive to her question.

"What?"

"Is your brain made of seaweed or something? I asked if you have sensitive skin."

" _Oh!_ Uh, yeah, sure do," Percy answered, hardly paying any mind to what she just asked him.

"Full shave or shape?"

"Full shave, please."

Annabeth grabbed the product for sensitive skin and got to work. Applying shaving cream and gently raking the razor across his cheek, sometimes pausing to gently lift his jaw or chin when needing a better angle.

Percy couldn't ignore each time her hand made contact with his skin. He thought her skin would be soft, but he didn't think it would be _this_ soft. Her hands were steady as they worked across his face. With every touch, Percy felt his skin become heated.

"All done!" Annabeth chirped, touching a warm towel to Percy's jawline and chin. It was quick work, as Percy did not have much hair for Annabeth to shave. She untied the smock from around his neck and laid it across the back of the chair.

"Thanks," Percy said, checking Annabeth's work in the mirror.

"Alrighty, well I guess I have to close now..." Annabeth said, eyeing Main Street for any more customers, hoping for maybe a sudden influx. Crossing her fingers behind her back, she rocked back and forth on her feet, balancing on her toes for a better look towards the end of the street.

Percy chuckled. "You don't seem so sure about that." He flipped the sign on the door for her from _"Open"_ to _"Closed"_ , helping her pull the blinds on the storefront down as the sun began to set.

Annabeth stayed silent as she brought the blinds down and turned them the way her father liked.

"Hey, Annabeth?" Percy asked.

"Yeah?" Annabeth responded, sweeping the mostly clean floor.

"Can I ask you a personal question? I mean, I know we're barely acquaintances and all, but I'm curious..."

"Go ahead…?"

"Do you love that guy? Luke? I mean _really?_ Your relationship seems kind of one sided, if it's me observing..."

"It's really none of your business…" Annabeth began, and Percy sighed.

"I suppose." He compromised, trying not to start anything between the two of them. Percy wanted to become at least her friend, if that was all he could be allowed in this lifetime. Even just her friendship would be a privilege.

Percy continued to assist her clean up the shop, helping her to sweep up. She didn't keep the shop as clean during the day as her father, attributing it mostly to her seemingly urgent need to return to whatever book she happened to be reading. He snuck a few glances towards the blonde as he swept the floor with her, neglecting his duties across the street, if only for a few more moments.

When they were done, Percy returned his broom to the office in the back of the shop, Annabeth already counting today's earnings behind a desk. "Sorry." He offered his hand to her, smiling as she shook it. "Friends?" he asked as she shook his hand with a tight grip.

Annabeth smiled. "Friends."

Percy leaned down to kiss her hand once again, a little less smooth than the first time. His hands a bit more shaky as he took her hand in his.

"I best be going." Percy exited the office, stopping as he read the sign that hung above the counter. "Hey? Isn't my shave supposed to come with a massage?" Attempting to keep a straight face, he poked his head back in the office.

Annabeth narrowed her eyes at him, simply telling him to, "Get out."

"Whatever you say, Wise Girl. I just hope other customers aren't getting ripped off." He chuckled, exiting the store, the familiar jingle of the bell sounding across the barber shop.

The blonde laughed, not used to someone other than Thalia using humor around her. Her father was a sweet man but not one for jokes. Her mother was a sweet creature as well, but usually kept to herself. Luke… Well, he was Luke. She was lucky if she could get him to laugh sometimes.

Annabeth brought the kissed hand to her face, feeling more affection from that friendly peck than all of Luke's kisses combined. She smiled, the faint smell of aftershave clinging to the back of her hand.

As Percy walked across the street, he gently touched the pads of his fingers to his jawline and chin, feeling traces of a fire he hadn't felt before. He swore then to the Gods above that he would never forget that feeling, the feeling of her touch. Not for one moment.

...

After counting up the register, Annabeth placed the day's earnings in a safe hidden in the supply closet, which was situated near the back of the office. She took her time shutting off the lights and locking each door, slowing her pace to that of a snail. After locking up the front door, she turned to the door next to the store front that would lead to the apartment. She sighed, as she noticed only one light on upstairs, the light to her room. Annabeth knew Luke would be in some kind of mood once she got up there, especially with the amount of time she was taking. She flashed a smile at Percy across the street as the streetlights and the tree lights came on. She unlocked her front door and headed up the stairs slowly.

When she reached the next door, she exhaled upon hearing her radio turned on, the slow station on that Luke loved listening to. His music taste was always so depressing, Annabeth thought. He usually intended for it to be romantic, but most of the choices ended up being rather sad instead. Sliding the next key in, she prepared herself for what was to come.

Annabeth was shocked when Luke greeted her at the door, his shirt unbuttoned and his tie hanging loosely from his collar. "I thought he'd never leave you. Did he cause any trouble?"

"No," Annabeth replied, her tone rather annoyed. She laid down her purse on the dining room table and moved to her room.

In her room, she removed her pearls and placed them in the jewelry box on her nightstand. Grabbing comfortable house clothes from her small closet, she moved quickly behind the partition in the corner to change.

"Annabeth? I don't want you talking to that punk. He's nothing but trouble," she heard Luke say. Annabeth peeked from behind the edge of the partition to see Luke leaning against her doorway, fiddling with his lighter.

"You really don't have a say in the matter," Annabeth replied, untying the ribbon around her waist and unbuttoning her dress, reaching for a shirt as she watched her dress slip to the ground.

"Oh, but I do." Luke shot back, grabbing the edge of the partition so he could see Annabeth.

"Luke!" Annabeth yelped, desperately clutching the shirt to cover her almost-naked form.

Luke laughed, closing the partition completely and laying it against the wall. "Come on, Annabeth. Nothing I haven't seen before." He shot her a smirk as she allowed the shirt to fall to the floor.

Despite the fact that Annabeth found no interest in the emotional part of their relationship, she couldn't deny the physical aspect she once loved. Luke didn't have much to offer in the stimulating conversation department, but he knew how to express himself in… other ways.

Luke traced circles on her shoulders as he brought his mouth to her neck, sucking gently where he knew Annabeth would react. With a hitched breath, she melted beneath his touch.

"My parents-"

"-Won't be home for another hour and a half. They gave me a key yesterday and told me to watch the house while you worked, and to hang out with you if I desired," Luke finished, placing kisses on her collarbones, his hands gripping her hips. "And Annabeth, dear, I must say at this given moment I do desire to do so..." No longer hinting at simply "hanging out."

Luke hooked his arms under her legs, lifting her so they would hook behind his back. He brought his lips from her collarbone to meet her soft red ones. "I've been waiting for this all day, Annabeth… Oh, how I've missed this..." he murmured, walking from the corner of her room to her small bed pushed against the wall. Annabeth loosened his tie further, lifting it from his neck to toss it in the pile of her clothes in the corner.

"That's my girl," Luke laughed, falling forwards onto the bed, Annabeth beneath him.

Annabeth laughed as she began to kiss him back. She didn't _have_ to love Luke in order to fool around with him, she thought. But she knew this would be trouble, as Luke didn't see this is as lust from a teenager, but love from a future wife. Annabeth was becoming increasingly aware of the issues that could come up from this, but couldn't bring herself to stop the wandering hands that pushed his already unbuttoned shirt to the ground, or the lips that continued to entertain Luke's.

She couldn't bring herself to stop when he began to remove his belt and pants, and definitely couldn't bring herself to stop in assisting Luke's hands in removing her bra.

* * *

Welp, that's it! Hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and sorry for the cliffhanger, I'm not a fan of writing Annabeth x Luke, so I promise it will end soon! Love you guys!


	3. Chapter 3

As Percy pushed open the door of his father's shop, a smirk crossed his face, aimed at no one in particular. After interacting with Annabeth more, he couldn't deny his growing affections for the dame across the street. She was charming, and wise at times, but he loved every moment of it, memorizing the way her eyes lit up when she smiled or laughed. His father, noticing him come in, smiled at him with raised eyebrows.

"So?" he inquired, placing the newspaper on the counter, turning his attention towards his son.

"So what?" Percy asked, digging his brushes out of his apron to clean for the night.

"So... how did things go with that girl? What's her name again? Anna? I know you've vied after her since elementary school, Perce. Maybe it's time for you to step it up?" Percy's father's eyes showed a glimmer of hope, perhaps hope for his son to finally be happy in his life.

Percy sighed, placing his brushes down. "Pa, she's got a boyfriend, or whatever he is to her. I can't exactly butt in on that right now." Across the street, Annabeth was locking up the shop, just as the streetlights were coming on. She smiled at Percy, and he felt his cheeks warm up, his father laughing behind the counter.

His blush soon faded when he saw a familiar blond head moving about the room he assumed was Annabeth's across the street.

"You really like that girl," his father remarked, returning to his newspaper.

Percy scoffed, cleaning his brushes rather aggressively. "Seems I need to get in line," pointing his finger across the street to the blond pacing across the room, suddenly drawing the curtains to a close.

Percy's father pursed his lips at this revelation. "Don't give up so easily. Your mother was engaged to another man when I met her, now look where we are," chuckling softly.

"That was a different time, pa," Percy replied, exasperated. "Plus, have you seen the guy? Every parent's dream, and he's loaded."

Percy's father walked over to his son, sitting beside him. "You're not dirt poor, son."

"I'm not a Castellan."

Percy's father was usually a calm and level-headed man, seldom resorting to violence, however, he was overcome with the sudden urge to smack the back of Percy's head with his folded up newspaper.

"Hey!"

"You're right. You're not a Castellan, you're a Jackson. My father passed this business down to me _after_ I worked hard, and I plan on doing the same. You've worked hard your whole life, and that kid has gotten everything handed to him. Which, personally, I don't think really appeals to the ladies." He stood from where he sat, tossing the keys to Percy. "Lock up, and remember, you're a Jackson. You should be proud of that."

Percy felt an overwhelming sense of guilt after his father left. He didn't mean to insult the family name, and he definitely didn't mean to insult his upbringing. Exhaling, Percy dropped his brushes on the seat, standing to close up shop.

...

Annabeth laid sprawled across her bed, her eyes dreamily staring at the ceiling. Luke was getting dressed in the middle of her floor, a cigarette hanging out of the corner of his mouth. He had a slightly crooked smile to his lips, his gaze fixed upon Annabeth's form in her bed, her curly locks spread against her pillows, lips parted slightly, eyes fixed upwards. "Annabeth, the way you look right now is making it very hard for me to leave before your parents arrive." Luke admitted, sitting on the edge of her bed to tie his shoes.

Hearing Luke mention her parents snapped Annabeth out of her trance. She sat up, the sheet that was covering her form falling against her stomach. Her eyes shot to the clock, making note of when they were due to arrive.

"Jeez! I better put some clothes on, they'll be here any minute!" Jumping from the bed to the corner of the room, she pulled her bra back on and slipped her dress over her shoulders, fumbling with the buttons on the front of her dress more than once. Fluffing her hair up, she reached for the perfume on her nightstand to freshen up.

"Annabeth, I have a question for yo-"

"-Well! You best be on your way now, Luke. Can't have my ma and pa getting the wrong idea here," Annabeth chirped, practically pushing Luke out of her room.

He looked down on her, the height difference between the two of them suddenly very apparent to Annabeth. Luke lifted his hand to stroke her cheek, his eyes fixed on hers, meanwhile hers were everywhere but on him. "Anna-"

"-Oh! Ma baked biscuits last night. Take a few home and say hello to Ethan for me!" Annabeth practically flew towards the kitchen, returning quickly with a tin full of biscuits, a smile painted across her face.

Luke reached for his pocket, Annabeth practically yelping, leaping forward and holding his forearms in place, the tin rattling to the ground. Grinning sheepishly, she bent to pick up the tin and shoved it towards him. Thankfully, she heard the twisting of the doorknob and the fumbling of keys, exhaling for what seemed to be the first time in minutes.

Luke furrowed his eyebrows at her, his frustrations growing. Annabeth was making things very difficult for him, refusing to stand still for more than a moment. "I suppose that's my cue to leave. Farewell, darling," Luke nearly cooed, planting a lingering kiss against Annabeth's lips. As he kissed her, Annabeth's parents walked in, immediately ending whatever conversation they were previously holding, her mother in particular gasping lightly.

Annabeth's father was the first to break the silence, clearing his throat. Annabeth stepped away from Luke, the blonde blushing profusely as she fiddled with her hair. "Sorry," she whispered apologetically, keeping her eyes aimed at her feet.

"I'll pick you up tomorrow at 7. If you could wear that red cocktail dress, that'd be perfect," Luke practically commanded, a sly smile spreading across his lips as he pictured Annabeth in red.

"Mr. and Mrs. Chase." Luke greeted the two of them, bowing his hat as he passed them in the doorway, making good time as he made his way down the stairs.

Annabeth's father, Fred, made a move to move towards Annabeth, the young girl instead choosing to run into her room and shut the door, immediately diving for her phone. She dialed the number she so often called, the digits committed to memory. A monotone voice picked up on the other end, a hint of annoyance laced through it. "Hello?"

"Thalia! I'm so glad you're home. Do you think you could come over? I did something really un-Annabeth and I'd appreciate if you could come and help me get through this?" The words practically tumbled out of Annabeth's mouth, Thalia holding the phone away from her as Annabeth increased her volume on the last sentence.

Thalia groaned, figuring it had something to do with Luke. "Do I have any other choice in the matter?" she asked, hoping for a way out of this dramatic spiral. Inside, she suspected she didn't.

With a laugh comparable to bells, Annabeth confirmed Thalia's suspicions, denying her any way out of the situation. "Nope!"

...

Thalia sat cross legged on Annabeth's bed as the younger girl detailed what had happened that day, pacing the room as her fingers tangled themselves in the ribbon tied haphazardly around her waist. When it came time for Annabeth to switch the male focus of the story to Luke, Thalia cut her off.

"You were alone with him in the apartment? Annabeth-"

"I know! And that's not even the worst part…!" Annabeth threw her hands in the air, looking frazzled and confused.

Thalia grabbed Annabeth by the shoulders and looked her straight in the eyes. "You need to calm down. How could this story possibly get any worse?" Annabeth plopped herself on the bed, Thalia sitting next to her.

"Well I was undressing, behind the partition, putting on house clothes. And Luke came and closed it, and obviously, I wasn't wearing anything but my bra and underwear-"

"...No. Annabeth, you didn't!" Thalia sighed, hanging her head. "I thought you were done with this. It was cute, the first few times. But now… He's getting serious. He probably wants to propose before your father has to leave. Luke's kind of a jerk but he's traditional, he'd want to do it right. By fooling around with him, you're only giving him leverage to do it. You need to end it with him already unless you want to become Mrs. Annabeth Castellan." Thalia's voice had lost all playfulness as she dangled her left hand in front of Annabeth.

The blonde directed her attention to the window, finding it difficult to look Thalia in the eye. She knew Thalia was right, but she didn't know how to break it off with Luke without royally pissing him off. Luke was a lot of things, but he was definitely possessive, jealous, and prideful.

"Could you help me? I don't know how I could pull this off without being beat to a pulp," Annabeth admitted, laughing nervously. She meant it as a joke, but the both of them knew it was a definite possibility. Luke held a lot of power in the town, but neither of them could ever be quite sure _just_ how much power, or where he held connections.

"I'd do anything for you, Beth. You're practically my sister at this point," Thalia smiled, leaning over to hug the younger girl.

"To be safe, let's just make sure this is relatively public so he can't react too harshly. Alright?"

...

The following evening, Annabeth was getting ready for her "night" out with Luke. In reality, she was prepared to dump him, using her father leaving as an excuse to be single. It was all carefully planned out, Annabeth just hoped she could pull it off. She pulled on the red cocktail dress, not wanting to set Luke up for an upsetting night. The dress was pulled in at the smallest point in her waist, the neckline plunging the lowest out of any of her dresses. The dress had no sleeves, and the skirt carried a bell shape, ending above her knees. Annabeth was never comfortable with how the dress fit, thinking it rather revealing. She always attempted to cover up the small amount of cleavage that was present, but the dress would fall back to it's original shape. Luke loved it, seldom keeping his eyes off of her when she did choose to wear it.

Putting on white gloves, she waited by the door until Luke came by to pick her up. The sky was already dark, a clear night with an abundance of stars. She hoped maybe Luke would take advantage of the setting, but knew that instead, he would probably opt to take her to the most expensive restaurant in town, which she didn't even like that much.

Sighing as Luke's car pulled up, she made her way down the stairs, slow and steady. This was it.

...

Luke hadn't surprised Annabeth in the slightest. Here they were, sitting at a table for two, close to finishing their entrée. The restaurant was small, each table decorated with a white tablecloth and a candle. There were only a handful of tables in the restaurant, each one full.

The conversation had been to a minimal the entire evening, to Annabeth's delight. She thought he must have been in some kind of mood, and was grateful for it. This seemed to be the perfect opportunity for her to end it once and for all.

"Luke, I have something very important to talk to you about," Annabeth said, breaking the silence. She finished the last bite of her food, folding up her napkin and placing it on the table.

"As do I," Luke said, staring intently at the blonde.

Annabeth couldn't ignore his gaze, feeling her stomach turn. She didn't know if she would have the strength to end things when the time came, and she still had no clue how to make the words come out of her mouth.

"Luke-" Annabeth began, maintaining eye contact with the man sitting across from her.

"-Annabeth."

Annabeth swallowed, twisting her fingers nervously. "My father is due to leave at some point this month, and I'll be taking over the business then…"

Luke raised his eyebrows, coaxing her to finish. "And…?"

"-And I think it would be best if I focused on that for awhile. My ma will be needing me even more now with my dad gone and I just think-"

Luke cut her off again, his frustrations visibly growing. "-You think what?" He was sitting straighter in his seat, adjusting his tie.

Annabeth sat straighter, attempting to match his posture. Her mouth was suddenly dry, her hands shaking beneath her white gloves. Her nervousness caused her to begin to ramble. "I think that I need to be alone for awhile, I need to be there for my ma and focus on working. I need to practice a little more on certain haircut styles, pa says I could do better-"

Luke pushed himself out from the table, standing up as the chair nearly fell over, screeching across the floor. All sound in the restaurant stopped, Annabeth sinking slightly in her chair. Luke was clenching his fist at his sides, glaring at Annabeth. "You're ending our relationship."

"Yes, Luke. I just think it's a difficult time to h-"

"Let's go," Luke growled, throwing bills upon the top of the table. Annabeth gathered her purse and coat, following Luke to the outside of the restaurant. The French restaurant was only two blocks away from Main Street, Annabeth figuring she could walk back home if needed. She was anticipating a metaphorical weight being lifted, but she suspected she was not in the clear just yet.

The two stepped out into the cool September air, the wind whistling through the trees. Annabeth wrapped her coat tighter around her, shivering at the cold. Luke paced in front of the door to the restaurant, his hands clutching at his scalp.

"How dare you!" Luke yelled, stepping forward, grabbing Annabeth's upper arm. His grip tightening.

"Luke, let go of me."

"No," he snarled, tightening his grip.

Annabeth yelped, attempting to put distance between Luke and herself, pushing his forearm away from her, his grip only becoming tighter. "Luke!" Her tone rising, the urgency evident in her voice. She was practically clawing at his fist, desperation clear in her eyes. Seeing no way out of the situation, Annabeth did her best to aim high, and swung a fist in the direction of his face.

Luke released his grip, clutching his nose as he doubled over in pain, groaning. Annabeth thought maybe she aimed a little lower than intended. With Luke occupied, Annabeth turned and sprinted towards Main Street, running the fastest that she could in heels.

"Annabeth!" Luke moaned, still pinching his nose as he ran after her.

Annabeth turned a corner, her heels wobbling with each step. The blonde was never one for running, especially in heels. She took one of the corners too fast, slipping and crashing to the ground. The concrete of the sidewalk scraped along Annabeth's entire leg, blood beginning to flow. One of the heels had come loose on her shoes, now barely hanging on. Whimpering, Annabeth picked herself back up and continued on, spotting a single shop light on Main Street turned on: that of the shoe shiner.

Annabeth stopped in front of the glass storefront, bringing her fists to the glass urgently, catching the lone Percy Jackson's attention as he was cleaning the shop by himself. Annabeth could only see him mouth her name in confusion as Luke was upon her. He grabbed her again, this time with both hands tightly gripping both of her forearms, shaking her.

"How dare you embarrass me in that way!" Lifting his hand, Annabeth reflexively cowering beneath his palm.

Luke halted his actions as the dark-haired boy stepped out onto the sidewalk, matching Luke in both stature and anger.

Stepping back, Luke cackled. "Oh, he's the reason, isn't he?" jabbing a finger at the younger boy as Percy stepped between the two of them. His nose was bleeding, the blood flowing down his face and onto his suit, surely soiling the white dress shirt.

"Annabeth, what's going on?" Percy inquired, gently putting a hand on her shoulder, indicating for her to get back.

Luke laughed again, speaking lowly, "Shoe shiner, please do us both a favor and don't pretend you didn't orchestrate this whole thing. I saw the way you looked at her yesterday in the barber shop. How long has this been going on, Annabeth? Huh? How long have you been doing _him_ behind my back?"

"Luke..." Annabeth began, trying to diffuse the situation.

"No. You know what? I'll see you later Annabeth. I'll be back. Have fun with this hotshot," Luke hissed, a threat apparent in his voice. He turned and stormed down the street, disappearing around the corner, heading back to the restaurant for his car.

As soon as Luke was out of sight, Annabeth exhaled in what seemed like the first time in minutes.

Percy turned to Annabeth, placing a hand on her back. "Let's get inside," turning into the shop.

It didn't take long for Percy to lock up the store and close the blinds while Annabeth sat down. It also didn't take long for her to burst into tears. A few pins had fallen out of her hair, loose ringlets scattered across her scalp. Her leg was bloodied still, a shoe broken, makeup smeared.

"Well, this is definitely not how I wanted this night to go," Annabeth croaked, wiping her nose against her forearm.

Percy laughed, keeping Annabeth in his peripheral vision. He went behind the counter for extra towels, bringing them to her, patting dry some of the blood along her scrapes. She hissed at the touch, biting back her yelps.

"I'm sorry for dragging you into this, Percy. It wasn't my intention. I just knew I wasn't going to be able to make it upstairs to my apartment in time," she said, her breath hitching when he put down pressure on her scrapes.

Percy thought that he'd love to be dragged into all of her drama, but kept his thoughts to himself. "You had to do what you had to do. I'm just happy you're safe now," he replied, stopping himself after realizing what he just said. Internally slapping himself, he continued. "I just always thought he was a creep, and I'm glad you got away from him when you did."

Annabeth sighed, helping Percy to clean the blood from her leg. "Yeah, me too. And he was going to propose tonight, from what I heard," she admitted, dabbing the towel along her wounds.

Percy froze for a moment, staring ahead, thinking of what may have happened had she said yes to him. Getting to see them both in her apartment together from his apartment. Seeing him kiss her again. Blonde children with blue and grey eyes running down the street. Percy. Alone. Not being able to catch Annabeth looking at him from her window, or not seeing her occasional glances to the shoe shine shop while he was working.

" _He doesn't deserve you_ ," he thought, then corrected himself. " _I don't deserve her either. She deserves the world, and I can't give it to her_." He then thought that maybe he could. He would try. No matter how long it took.

They were finally finished cleaning up her wound, Percy retrieving bandages from the back office.

"Dad always keeps first aid supplies back here," Percy explained from the office, searching for the kit. "Says you can never be too prepared."

Annabeth smiled, applying the bandages once Percy returned, him helping her in the process. Their hands occasionally grazed each other, the two blushing in response with their heads down.

Annabeth kicked off her heels, one of them almost in two pieces. "I've wrecked these. Can you throw them out for me?" she requested, brow furrowing at the shoes. "They were my favorite, too bad I had to run away from an asshole on one of the few occasions I've worn them. Oh well," she sighed.

Percy nodded, making a mental note to take care of the shoes for her. It was a simple gesture, but Percy thought she might appreciate it. He was no cobbler, but he'd try.

Annabeth walked up to Percy, now even shorter than him than she was before. "Thank you Percy, for everything tonight. I'm sorry you had to be dragged into this," she stood on her toes, wrapping her arms around his neck.

Percy stood frozen for a moment, before reciprocating the sentiment and hugging her in return. "Anytime."

He watched her walk out the door and across the street, noting how she wasn't hesitant to walk into the street barefoot, and how her steps were as sure as they were when she has shoes on.

* * *

Hope you all enjoyed it! Please leave a review or message me on tumblr. My url is fearofsuffocating.


	4. Chapter 4

The day had finally come, the day that Annabeth and Percy's fathers were to leave. Annabeth knew it was coming, but the emotional preparation didn't make the day any easier. Annabeth stood in a modest dress and heels, a grey hat providing a halo effect behind her head. The platform was bustling with families, a cacophony of sobs and light chatter echoing across the train platform. Among the constantly moving bodies, the blonde stood still, staring at her father who was only a few paces away. Her father was listening to her mother speak intently, his hand cupping her cheek. Annabeth had a hard time eavesdropping on their conversation, resorting to watching them with a fondness in her eyes. The way her mother leaned into her husband's hand, the way she placed her smaller, but equally strong, hand over his. It would be a long while before she would witness this sight again, so she took her time in watching.

A few feet back, Percy was listening to his father speak, stealing glances towards the girl who stood as if she herself were getting drafted. Her shoulders were pressed back, her hands folded in front of her, a practiced mannerism, her feet neatly together.

His father, noticing his son's very apparent inattention, paused. He let out a low laugh, waiting for his son to notice his lack of speaking. Percy turned, grinning sheepishly. His mother, sitting on a bench next to them, laughed.

"This boy is most certainly in love," she remarked, craning her neck to eye the blonde that had now moved closer to her father.

The whistle on the train blew, a conductor stepping out onto the platform. "Train's gon' be leaving in a few minutes, folks," he announced, quickly stepping back into the train.

Annabeth turned her head back to her father, a forced smile crossing her face. He let go of his wife, stepping towards Annabeth, closing the distance between himself and his daughter. His eyes were filled with pride as he looked down at the blonde, his heart swelling. Annabeth placed a hand on his shoulder, adjusting his tie.

"You can never tie your ties straight, daddy, can you?" she asked, sniffling as she straightened the green tie out.

"Why would I tie it straight when I've got you to fix it for me?" he asked right back, wiping the lone tear from her cheek with a finger.

Her stomach turned, and she suddenly found it hard to speak. Fred noticed the sudden silence that was uncharacteristic of his daughter, drawing her into his arms.

"I promised myself I wouldn't cry," she said, her voice cracking. He pulled her closer, burying his face in her shoulder.

"It's okay if you do, dear," he murmured against her dress, a tear falling on the fabric.

"I want you to take care of your mother, Annabeth. Make sure you lock up the safe every night. Double, triple check before you leave. Don't work on Sundays, spend the day with your mother. I'll write you as soon as I ca-"

He was cut off by the sound of the whistle once again. The conductor stepped back out, yelling, "All aboard."

Percy turned to his father, grabbing his shoulders firmly. "You come back to me, pa. You come back to me and my mother," commanding in his speech. The normally consistent tone in his voice faltered as he grabbed his mother and father into his arms. "You come back to us," he repeated one final time.

His father reached for his bag, slinging it over his head and onto his back. Reaching for his wife and son, he kissed them both on the forehead.

Annabeth clutched at her father's back, fisting the fabric that was there. "Write as soon as you can," she said, pulling away. Her father nodded, pulling her back in for one more hug, kissing her cheek.

"I love you, Annabeth," he said, turning to say goodbye to his wife.

Annabeth turned away, trying to avoid crying anymore. She spotted Percy Jackson a ways from her, being hugged by his father, his face red, eyes stinging with tears. Scanning the faces of the rest of the families crowding the platform, she found similar scenes. This was the first large batch of men to be drafted from their town, and the effect it was having on the population was extremely evident.

"Last call!" the conductor yelled from the train, the whistle blowing once more.

Annabeth faced her father, giving him one last hug and kiss on the cheek. Percy pulled in his dad once more for a hug, attempting to hide his tears. His father looked at his equally green-eyed son, speaking with a sudden conviction. "Perce, you go after that girl. And you make your old man proud."

The crowd parted as the men left to board the trains, wives crying after their husbands, daughters reaching for their fathers, sisters weeping for their brothers. Annabeth stood, tears falling, unsure of what was to come. Percy wiped his eyes, reaching to put his arm around his mother as she waved at the train, to a window where her husband was sitting, waving right back.

Annabeth smiled across the platform at the scene of Percy with his mother, turning to hug her crying mother. Her father stood in the doorway of the train car, smiling at his family.

Annabeth didn't know how long it would be until she saw her father again, so she took a moment to look at him, take in his features. The lines on his face - his clean face, now without a beard. His hair cut in a military style, his hat covering all but the edges. His posture straight, his bag held in one hand.

The train pulled away, women running after individual cars, yelling last words of love, reaching for one last touch. Annabeth watched the pain in their eyes as they walked away from the train as it picked up speed, their men out of their reach. She felt for them.

Once the train was down the track, the crowd cleared. Annabeth stayed at the edge of the platform, leaning over the handrail, watching the train reach the horizon. Percy told his mother to take the car, staying behind to talk to the blonde girl who stood on the rail in heels.

The dark-haired boy came up to the rail, speaking, his voice slightly raspy. "You're still here, huh?"

Annabeth's smile did not reach her eyes, but she nonetheless replied in a humored tone, "And you are as well."

Percy stood up on the rail as well, leaning forward as she did to watch the train continue on. "I'm only here right now to talk to you," he admitted, raking his hand through his hair nervously.

"Is that so," she remarked, eyes narrowing at the boy who, now again, dwarfed her in height.

"I wanted to ask you how you've been… You know, since it's been about a week since the Luke thing…"

Annabeth paused a moment, turning away from Percy. "I'm fine. Thalia came to visit me a lot so I wouldn't feel like I had no one to talk to. My parents were a little upset that we had broken up until I told them the circumstances, then they understood. My dad wanted to go to the Castellan home and teach him a lesson or two, I think…" she laughed lightly, still a little unsettled by the whole thing.

"I need to thank you again, though. I don't know what might have happened. Luke has a really bad temper-" Annabeth paused, comparing her struggles to the ones that the men on the train were about to face. For a moment, she felt silly. Her and Percy's fathers were being shipped off to war. She knew people didn't come back from wars the same, if at all. And here she was, talking about a boy who didn't even love her, as she didn't love him.

"This is silly," she said, looking at the roof of the station, shaking her head. "A good number of the men of this town just got shipped off to war, and I'm here talking to you about an ex-boyfriend."

Percy looked at the frustrated girl, understanding her point, but similarly, not agreeing. "Yes, but that doesn't mean you should just forget about your problems." He wrung his hands together, a nervous habit.

Annabeth sighed, adjusting her hat. "There are more important things to think about, that's all. Percy, I'm sorry to cut this conversation so short. But I best be going. Just because some of the men got drafted does not mean I still don't have a business to run." She stepped down from the rail, the sound of her heels hitting the ground echoing across the empty station. Percy jumped down as well, adjusting his shirt.

"Thanks for talking to me anyway," she offered, sticking her hand out for a handshake. Percy instead took her gloved hand and kissed the back of it, coming back up with a crooked smile.

She shook her head, speaking one last time to the dark-haired boy with a slight blush across his cheeks. "Goodbye, Percy."

"See you soon, Annabeth."

Percy watched the blonde walk down the platform and down the stairs, heading back towards town. In that moment he knew, he was a goner.

...

The following couple of weeks were a whirlwind for Annabeth. More men in the town had decided to sign up to fight, as increased coverage of the war spread across the airways. Many men had come to her for a haircut, and she seldom found time to be by herself. She did take those Sundays off, spending them with her mother and Thalia, who would sometimes stop in to the apartment.

Percy was receiving peer pressure from his friends during this time to sign up with them. They were of age, and felt they needed to do something. Or at least, that's what they told Percy. He thought that maybe some of them were only doing it for attention, or pure teenage adrenaline, and maybe even a touch of rebellion. He also thought that you shouldn't just enlist for any old reason. Percy supported his country, sure, but felt he shouldn't leave his mother unless drafted, or until he felt there was a right time to do so. Sally Jackson was a tough lady, but he didn't want to leave her alone.

Percy also didn't want to leave the blonde dame across the street, but he wasn't quite ready to admit it to himself. In the two weeks since his father left, and their conversation on the train platform, he had only spoken to Annabeth a handful of times, mostly in passing. He didn't know how to make the first move towards the girl, frankly, finding her kind of intimidating now that they had spoken a few times. He also didn't know the proper waiting time to ask a girl out after she was just in a relationship.

His usual too-cool-for-school facade wavered around the blonde, but the other girls that would peek into his shop window didn't seem to notice. As he worked, they would pass by and wave, or peek their head in the door and say hello. He found it annoying usually, but especially now that his interest in Annabeth was growing. As if the Fates were against him, more of them seemed to be showing up, probably hearing about their escapade on Main Street, or their interaction at the station.

As Percy cleaned some guy's muddy work boots, pondering over a way to ask the girl out, the bell on the shop door jingled. Percy sighed, popping his head out from the office, hoping that it wasn't a special request. Even though he was a shoe shiner, he hated having to scrub especially dirty shoes, at least feeling grateful that the customer wouldn't see his frustration as he worked.

Mid-thought, he processed the sight in front of him. Annabeth Chase herself stood behind the small counter, looking at the family photo hung on the adjacent wall. She had not yet noticed Percy, giving the frazzled teenager a moment to gather himself. Tossing the boot back on the small work table, Percy tried to wipe his dirty hands on his apron, the attempt mostly futile.

Walking out of the office with his best nonchalant posture, he came up behind the counter. "How may I help you today?" he asked, his voice a cross between professional and ridiculous.

Annabeth turned her head from the frame to him, cocking it to the side. "I came here to ask you something," slightly confused by his tone, furrowing her eyebrows together.

Percy's mouth turned dry, his nervousness at an all-time high. "Yes?" What did she want?

"Would you like to get dinner with me Friday?"

Percy's eyes widened with shock. It was certainly unexpected for a woman to ask a man out, but Percy couldn't say no. This was Annabeth god damn Chase! Caught off guard, he recomposed himself.

"Beat me to the chase, Chase," he remarked, putting a hand on his head as he stepped away from the counter.

"Well, you were being very indecisive," she shot back. "I am a very patient person, but I'm not waiting around forever for something to happen. Now do you want to get dinner with me or not?"

A smile spread across Percy's features, the nervousness fading away. "I would love to."

Annabeth smiled back, heading for the door. "I need to be getting back to work, but I'll see you then. Let's meet at Charlie's at 7," she said, pushing the glass door open, going back to work.

Percy sighed, collapsing into one of the chairs usually meant for his customers. It was only Monday, and Friday night felt like an eternity away. The restaurant that Annabeth invited him to was a modest Italian restaurant, which he was happy for. The Jacksons were doing well for themselves, but Percy didn't want to spend money where he didn't absolutely have to.

Relieved, he laughed a little. Annabeth Chase asked him out on a date. And he said yes. He felt that he would now have to make up for not asking her out to dinner first.

Across the street, Annabeth, now starting on a customer, smiled to herself. After being in a relationship for awhile with Luke, it was nice to finally have control in a relationship. She decided whether or not to ask him out. It had been some time since the Luke incident, and she had been pretty happy to not have seen him since.

Things were finally beginning to look up for Annabeth. Despite her father being gone, she had received a couple of letters and was pleased to hear that he was doing fine. He had been placed in a relatively comfortable position due to his age, and did surprisingly well during their basic training. He missed her and her mother, including a postcard from the nearest town along with his letter.

Finishing up with the customer's haircut, Annabeth brushed any remaining hair off his shoulders, checking the evenness of the hairstyle. The young boy who couldn't have been much older than her was now lacking his dark curls. He shook slightly, swallowing as he did.

"Are you okay?" Annabeth asked, worried at the boy's state. Did she nick his ear? Was their blood somewhere? She inspected the dark toned boy, finding nothing.

"I'm planning on enlisting," he said, straightening up in the chair slightly.

"Oh," was all that escaped Annabeth's lips, suddenly understanding.

"I'm Leo," he offered, sticking his hand out for a shake.

"Annabeth," she replied, shaking his hand.

Leo stood up from the chair, heading to the counter, reaching for his wallet. "Your dad was Fred, right?" he asked.

Annabeth nodded, reading out his total.

"He got drafted in the most recent batch, didn't he?" Leo asked again, passing his cash over to her.

She nodded once more, handing him back his change.

"He's a good man, Annabeth. He's been cutting my hair since I was a kid. I may not know him as well as you, but I know he'll be fine."

Annabeth smiled, never quite realizing the effect that her father had on other people. He had been running the business since before she was born, it being passed down from his father. She didn't quite think about other people knowing him, making a personal connection with him through his work.

"Thanks, Leo," she replied, patting him on the shoulder. Though Annabeth's stressing over her father would probably never stop, Leo had helped her. Even if her father didn't come home, he was loved by many.

...

Luke grumbled to himself, pacing back and forth through his foyer, stopping only briefly to glance out of the window to his car. His fashionable dress shoes clicked with every step across the polished wooden floors. He was frustrated. Annabeth, the girl who was supposed to marry him, the most beautiful girl he had ever seen, the smartest girl in town, had shown him up. She had embarrassed him.

Raking his hand through his hair, he fell back into a nearby arm chair, pondering his next move, taking a long drag from a cigarette. Her father wasn't there, which was a plus. Fred was a smart man who no doubt saw through his facade in some aspects. Her mother was not gullible either, but she could be distracted by the premise of a tragic love story. She lived for that, she was a librarian.

He had to find a way to frame the whole situation a little better, to make Annabeth see things from a different perspective. Why would he ever intentionally hurt her? He loved her, he wanted to marry her. Grabbing her was in the heat of the moment. He simply didn't want to lose her.

It wasn't perfect, but it could work. For the time being.


End file.
